I wish you God’s peace that is beyond any reasoning and that unites people with Him.
In order that this peace may come to people, they should undertake an effort to acquire a peaceful dispensation of the soul, to tolerate demerits of one another and to be able to forgive all kinds of insults and abuses of all people. Carry each other’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Those who have fulfilled the law of Christ will also achieve the peace of Christ that surpasses human reason. This peace makes people immune to the earthly sorrows and sufferings; it extinguishes any interest in this world, but draws people up above and kindles in their heart love for all and everything, love that covers all the demerits of their neighbours, love that makes people to care more for others than for themselves. All people believing in Christ, but the more so monastics, are called to this peace.
If there is nothing of the kind in our life, let us at least weep before God deploring our being poor-spirited and miserable, our being away from all that is good; let us refrain from accusing and reproaching one another when ourselves being unworthy and under an imminent threat of being rejected by the Lord. Babylon could have been healed but it was not healed. How long will the Lord tolerate us? The truth of God is also related to God’s love. Under the law of God’s truth, Adam was expelled from the paradise; the flood happened, Sodom and Gomorrah were burnt down, the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins.
Let us belittle ourselves before one another and before the Lord and mourn our incurable ulcers and let us as far as we can commit ourselves to loving one another. Then for our humbleness and for our toleration of others, the Lord will tolerate us, according to the rule: “with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you.” But if without struggle we give in to passions, what if not rejection will await us? The Kingdom of God is the kingdom of peace, love, joy, meekness and of other similar features, whereas differing from these characteristic features will deny us access to the Kingdom of God. We must change our character, bemoan our decaying soul and beg, like a leper, that the Lord may heal and clean us. Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and the doors of repentance, weeping and tenderness will open to bring forth peace and salvation to you. Let it be so!
I wish you all good things, temporary and eternal; and may the Lord grant you wisdom and strength in the struggle against the enemy and help you defeat him by humbleness and lamenting heart.
I wish you to stay well. May the Lord bless you all. My best wishes to all. I ask your forgiveness; and may the Lord grant you His forgiveness, mercy and blessings!
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